Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

Millions of dressed-up revelers and schoolchildren took to the streets across Germany on Monday to celebrate Carnival with elaborate costumes, chocolates and fervor. Shrove Monday’s street parades in traditional Carnival strongholds like Cologne, Duesseldorf and Mainz in western Germany were drawing huge crowds of locals and tourists alike.

Schools were closed throughout the region so children could attend the popular street parades that have floats, brass bands and dance groups who throw candy, chocolates and flowers to spectators. The costly, intricately built floats often feature huge, unflattering puppets of politicians, making fun of those in power.

Among the most daring floats was one with a naked U.S. President Donald Trump in the claws of a gigantic brown bear with the slogan “Russia scandal” written across his side. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was depicted as a black widow spider with blood-covered lips killing all her male competitors — whose names were written across little grey skulls lying in front of her.

At the Cologne street parade alone, parade participants plan to throw 700,000 bars of chocolate and 300,000 bouquets of flowers to spectators, the German news agency dpa reported. (AP)

A carnival float depicting German chancellor Angela Merkel as a black widow sitting over the bones and sculls of German politicians is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

A carnival float featuring the parliamentary group leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Andrea Nahles is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. Inscription reads “Comrades, the end is near / Nahles” playing on the word “nah” meaning “near” in German. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float depicts a dinosaur with the U.S. flag on its hat eating a large chunk from the earth during the traditional Rose Monday parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Shrove, Feb. 12, 2018. (Photo: Martin Meissner/AP)

A carnival float, depicting the leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD) Martin Schulz, is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. The writing reads “himself”. Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May giving birth to the Brexit, is being prepared at a warehouse ahead of a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, southern Germany. (Photo: Marcel Kusch/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A dressed-up man poses during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting a bear with the writing “Russia affair” on US President Donald Trump, is being prepared at a warehouse ahead of a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, southern Germany. (Photo: Marcel Kusch/Getty Images)

A dressed-up woman poses during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting a migrant with chains with the writings “Slavery in Libya” and “supported by the EU”, is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting co-leader of the parliamentary group of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party Alexander Gauland, is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. The writings read “We are not nazis at all” (L) and “far-right wing”(R). Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

A carnival float, depicting people in bins, is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. The writings read “Air Berlin employees, dummped by Lufthansa”. Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting Leader of the Free Democrats Party (FDP) Christian Lindner as a rabbit running, is being prepared at a warehouse ahead of a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, southern Germany. (Photo: Marcel Kusch/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

German police walk past dressed-up people during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Dressed-up people take part in a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

Dressed-up people take part in a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

People look at a carnival float, depicting Polish President Andrzej Duda and Hungarian President Janos Ader holding a hammer and sickle, during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)

Millions flock to Carnival street parades across Germany

A carnival float, depicting Polish President Andrzej Duda and Hungarian President Janos Ader holding a hammer and sickle, is pictured during a carnival parade on Rose Monday on Feb. 12, 2018 in Duesseldorf, western Germany. The writing (C) reads “right dictatorships”. Germany. (Photo: Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images)